Planned EU CO2 reduction targets unrealistic - Germany's VDA

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Drastic carbon dioxide emission cuts planned by the EU are unrealistic and impossible for the auto sector to achieve, German automotive association VDA said on Wednesday.

Earlier, EU lawmakers backed a target to cut carbon dioxide emissions from cars and vans by an ambitious 40 percent by 2030, defying lobbying by the car industry and setting the stage for a battle with national governments.

“(The European Parliament) ignores the technical and economic feasibility. The targets cannot be implemented in this period of time,” VDA President Bernhard Mattes said in a statement.